For You and Me
by Mumble
Summary: Harry could never talk to anyone about what had happened so he decided to sacrifice love but now that he has found someone he can talk to about his problems can he keep he stick to staying away from love?
1. Another Day

Notes from Amy and Bec- This isn't our usual sort of story. It's written by both of us which isn't very usual because it's usually just Amy doing all the writing. Anyways bascially we're planning on doing a lot of chapters on it. Hope you enjoy it :D

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It was happening again and Harry was getting sick of it. He didn't want to spend the whole summer watching them ignore each other but Hermione and Ron didn't seem to be putting any effort into talking. Harry had first become suspicious a week after moving into the Burrow because he had nowhere else to go. He didn't know what was wrong but they didn't seem to like being in the same room as each other and that certainly wasn't a good characteristic for a couple. It wasn't just Harry that had noticed either. Mrs. Weasley had noticed and was trying to get them to talk to each other; Mr. Weasley was often seen trying to convince Ron to speak to Hermione and Ginny was trying to play the perfect matchmaker. Nobody seemed to know why they weren't talking to each other and whenever someone asked one of them why if it was Hermione she would say, 'Ask Ron,' or if it was Ron the response would be, 'It was Hermione's idea.' 

The fight was not only making Hermione and Ron's holiday very unpleasant it was also affecting Harry. Although he was quite glad not to have to watch them snog constantly he preferred it when they were yelling at each other in a friendly sort of way or even any way at all to not talking at all. He thought after all they had been through like fighting Voldemort for almost a year before defeating him that they would be smarter than this but clearly he was wrong.

Although Hermione and Ron ignoring each other was the most obvious fight at the Burrow there was also a fight without words or fists between Harry and Ginny. It was because when Harry had returned from his fight with Voldemort Ginny had been expecting him to welcome her with open arms but he hadn't. Harry told her that after all that had happened he wasn't ready for a relationship and she had agreed to that reluctantly because she thought that that meant that as soon as Harry was ready he'd come straight back to her. Harry had been too gutless to tell her but he had been finishing the relationship for good. He didn't see how he could possibly go back to her after all that had happened. He didn't know if he could ever love again. Ginny kept flirting with him and trying to entice him so he began to ignore and avoid rooms that she occupied much the same as what Ron and Hermione were doing.

Besides the fights the Burrow was quite relaxing compared to the places Harry, Hermione and Ron had lived for the year they had been fighting. The Burrow also had something Harry was incredibly happy to have, a very small amount of people asking him about what had happened over the last year. Harry was dreading going back to Hogwarts to do his seventh year because he knew he would have to face everyone wondering about how he had stopped Voldemort. Facing the questions was not the only reason Harry wasn't looking forward to returning to Hogwarts. Hogwarts held many memories of Dumbledore and Sirius that he didn't want to face. He didn't want to see the quidditch pitch again where he had once looked upon his godfather and he didn't want to go to Hogsmeade because he was afraid of seeing the places Sirius had been again. He didn't like the thought of seeing someone else in Dumbledore's chair in the Great Hall, seeing somebody else pace Dumbledore's study but the thing he really didn't want was to enter Dumbledore's office and look upon his portrait. He couldn't bear to look upon Dumbledore's face, so much so he had thrown out all his chocolate frog cards and Ron's (when Ron wasn't looking) in order to avoid the Dumbledore card because he didn't think he could look Dumbledore's eyes, the eyes that had once held such hope behind the half-moon glasses. Just thinking of Dumbledore made Harry remember the day when Harry had struck down Snape before moving to Voldemort. Although that day had brought hope to the magical community it had left Harry, Hermione and Ron with nothing but miserable memories.

Harry spent the month after the end of the war traveling and trying to find some sense of peace but to no avail. Hermione went back to her parents who had tried so hard to not let her go in the first place and Ron went back to the Burrow where he had to relive his worst memories. After traveling Harry turned up at the Burrow to find Hermione already there and he was grateful to Mrs. Weasley for letting him stay there. Maybe it was that Harry didn't notice until a week after coming to the Burrow that Hermione and Ron were fighting or maybe their fight had only begun after Harry's arrival, Harry didn't know.

While staying at the Burrow Harry didn't do his usual of playing quidditch, instead he adopted the strategy he used to use when he lived with the Dursleys, the sticking-to-himself and ignoring everyone else strategy. Harry stayed up late in the attic with ink and a blank book he had bought in his travels. He really wanted to write down everything that had happened because otherwise he was afraid nobody else would ever hear the whole truth.

One day, two weeks after coming to the Weasley's Harry lay awake in his bed in Ron's room when a thought hit him. He quietly walked from the room so not to disturb Ron who was snoring loudly. As he came onto the landing the sun came into his eyes, it was very bright. He waited till he could see better again before he walked down the stairs. He found himself in front of Ginny's door, somewhere he didn't want to be but he had no intentions of talking to Ginny. At first he opened the door and glanced in, then opened it fully and walked over to Hermione's bed. He tapped her on the shoulder and she woke almost immediately.

'What's wrong Harry?' Hermione asked with a yawn.

'Come with me,' he whispered because he was desperate not to wake Ginny and risk conversation.

'Okay, just a minute,' Hermione whispered back and she got out of bed and put on her slippers and gown before following Harry. She wondered what this could be about.

Harry didn't turn around at all to see that Hermione was following. He led her past Ron's room and he could tell she was relieved until he led her up to the attic – she hadn't been up there before.

'Err Harry,' Hermione said once he had pulled the hard-to-find entrance to the attic closed. 'Did we have to come here?'

'Yes,' Harry told her and she frowned, 'It's quieter up here.'

'What's this about?' Hermione asked and Harry bit his lip, thinking how to say what he was going to.

'Hermione, I want to know, is the reason you and Ron are not speaking much the same as mine and Ginny's?' Harry asked her and she looked at him while thinking of what to say.

'I don't know, Ron is acting weird,' Hermione said while hoping that Harry would buy it.

'You know I don't believe you on that,' Harry said, 'If it was all Ron's doing then why aren't you making an effort to talk to him. If it was all Ron's doing I'm sure you'd be chasing him for answers.'

'It's complicated,' Hermione told him and she looked at her feet.

'How so?' Harry asked and Hermione looked up from her feet and at Harry's face but she couldn't look him in the eye so he looked at his hair before speaking again.

'Well I don't know,' Hermione said while still looking at Harry's forehead. 'Maybe Ron and I aren't made for each other.'

'But you always said-' Harry began but Hermione cut in.

'Well maybe I was wrong,' Hermione told him and that was when the tears in her eyes became more obvious and they began to fall down her cheeks. 'The war changed us all. We're different people now. I don't think we can go back to the way we were before.'

'There's always another day-' Harry began Hermione cut across him again.

'You didn't say that to Ginny,' Hermione reminded him, 'What makes me and Ron so much more different than you and Ginny?'

'But you and Ron were so perfect,' Harry said and Hermione laughed, 'Ginny and I were too much alike, too strong for each other. You know what they say, opposites attract.'

'Ron and I were never perfect,' Hermione told him and he shook his head but she continued, 'Ron and I had too much of a love-hate relationship. It wasn't built of stone, more likely, paper. It was a relationship made for too very immature kids. We're not kids anymore; we've grown up and grown apart.'

'Does Ron know all this?' Harry said but he could guess the answer.

'I only told him that we need some time apart,' Hermione told him, 'But I intend to break it off with him completely.'

'Intend to?' Harry said and Hermione glared at him.

'You did the same thing to Ginny!' Hermione said angrily.

'Now we both know how horrible it is,' Harry said and Hermione nodded before bursting into tears again. Harry was shocked when Hermione and he hugged and she cried on his shoulder. A couple of minutes passed before Hermione calmed down. Then Harry thought of something else.

'If you were the one that told Ron you needed time apart then why isn't Ron even talking to you?' Harry said and Hermione shrugged.

'He's probably just really angry with me,' Hermione guessed, 'Can't stand to talk to me. How's Ron going to take it when I break it off completely?' Tears formed in Hermione's eyes again. 'What if we can never be friends again?'

'I'll always be your friend, Hermione,' Harry told her and Hermione hugged him and for the first time in over a year, Hermione smiled.

'I guess that's the difference between Ron and Ginny,' Hermione said and Harry looked at her with a puzzled expression. 'Ron hides from his feelings and Ginny, by the way of constantly asking you, faces them.'

'I guess,' Harry agreed. 'Well I guess I better show you the reason I brought you up here.'

'Asking me about Ron wasn't the reason you brought me up here?' Hermione questioned.

'No,' Harry said, 'In case you haven't realized I have been spending a lot of time up here lately.'

'I'm pretty sure everyone has realized.' Hermione said and Harry laughed.

'Well, anyway,' Harry said, 'I've been writing about the war and everything that led up to it. I want the book to get published so everyone can know the truth, not understand because they'll probably never understand, just to know the facts.'

'That's a great idea,' Hermione told him and Harry smiled, 'But are you sure you want everyone knowing what happened?'

'It's better than them thinking things that aren't true,' Harry said and Hermione nodded in agreement, 'Anyway would you like to help me to write it?'

'I'd love to,' Hermione said and Harry smiled.

'Great,' Harry said, 'I'll show you what I've done so far.'

Harry and Hermione spent the next few hours in the attic. Harry showed her what he had written and the drawings he had drawn and then they began to write a plan. They didn't know what time it was but the room was no longer as frightening with the sun lighting the whole of the attic. The ghoul could be seen at the back of the attic but the ghoul was keeping to itself because it seemed to be just as scared of them as they were of it. After another hour Harry and Hermione decided to go have lunch. Mrs. Weasley was quite curious as to where they'd been but neither said they had been in the attic because Harry didn't want his work to be found. They both lied and said they had been in the spare room just talking.

Lunch was fairly eventful with first Ron entering the room, seeing Hermione then leaving in a tantrum sort of way, Ginny then came into the room, saw Harry and glared at him before sitting at the other end of the table. The whole of lunch was very quiet because Hermione and Harry didn't dare say anything while Ginny glared at them and every time Mrs. Weasley attempted to make conversation she failed miserably. Once lunch was over Ginny left to her room and Hermione to the garden and when Harry went to follow her Mrs. Weasley pulled him back.

'I just want to know,' Mrs. Weasley said, 'What's going on with you and Ginny?'

'Nothing,' Harry said truthfully, 'I don't know how to put this but I don't think things can go back to the way they were before. I'm not ready for another relationship. I'm sure deep down Ginny knows that but she hasn't taken it very well. I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley.'

'There's nothing to be sorry for, dear,' she said, 'Wait till you're ready.'

Mrs. Weasley left to go upstairs and Harry was left in the kitchen thinking. He had been hoping that Mrs. Weasley would understand but she like Ginny was still convinced that Harry would get over it and go back to her. Harry didn't want to go back to her and he was sick of everyone pressuring him. Did they not think him capable of making his own decision?

Harry was still thinking when he left the house to find Hermione. Hermione was by the small pond in the backyard, sitting on the bench while feeding the ducks. The pond was beautiful and had a very exotic feel to it but Harry didn't look at the pond because he was too consumed in his thoughts. Harry had never felt so alone. He felt like Hermione was the only one that understood because she was going through much the same thing. Harry sat down beside Hermione who smiled when she saw him.

'You're outside!' Hermione said with a big grin, 'You haven't been outside in ages.'

'I felt like some fresh air,' Harry told her, 'You know that although this war has left us with scars that'll never heal at least now we can breathe the fresh air again.'

'I never thought of it like that,' Hermione said, 'I guess it's better than all the things we saw last year, the dark alleys and graveyards.' Harry shuddered but he didn't shut the thoughts out. Being with Hermione made him feel less miserable about the past. He felt like she understood.

'Once I finish Hogwarts I'm going to live in the country,' Harry said, 'I never want to live in the city.'

'Neither do I,' Hermione said. 'The country is so much more peaceful.'

'You know what's peaceful, sitting here with a friend,' Harry said and Hermione smiled, 'I didn't think I'd be able to talk to anyone about this before but it's so easy to talk to you.'

'Talking about it is much better than keeping it all inside,' Hermione reminded him.

'Yeah, it is,' Harry said, 'But it's so hard to talk to Ginny-'

'Or Ron,' Hermione interrupted.

'Maybe it's better to have one good friend you can talk to than a girlfriend who you can't,' Harry said, 'You know maybe it's not that bad to not be in love. After all you don't need a girlfriend, all you need is friends that will stick with you no matter what.'

'I guess you don't,' Hermione said, 'But I don't think Ron and I will ever be able to be friends again once I break up with him.' Hermione sighed.

'You never know,' Harry said and she laughed, 'He might grow up once day. Besides there's always another day.'


	2. Not Meant to be Understood

Days passed and Hermione and Harry continued to meet in the attic on a regular basis. They were doing well with the planning and were very happy with the result. One thing they weren't happy with though was their love lives. Neither had built up the courage to tell their girlfriend/boyfriend the truth and both Ron and Ginny were getting suspicious, not of the fact that they weren't getting talked to because they were used to that but that Hermione and Harry were spending so much time together. In truth Hermione and Harry were nothing more than friends but Ron and Ginny thought otherwise. Ron became particularly suspicious when Harry and Hermione emerged from the attic because the attic did seem like a great place to snog. Ron was not seen by Harry and Hermione because he was hiding in the nearby cupboard, peaking out the key hole to see what they were doing. Once Harry and Hermione were safely downstairs Ron snuck up into the attic in attempt to discover what they were up to.

'The letters from Hogwarts have arrived,' announced Mrs. Weasley as Harry and Hermione entered the kitchen. Ginny who was sitting at the table eating her breakfast looked up and glared at Harry and Hermione before looking at her mother.

'Can I have my letter?' Ginny asked and Mrs. Weasley handed her the letter. Ginny was doing her sixth year because the school had been closed over the previous year because of the war.

After Mrs. Weasley handed out the letters to Harry and Hermione they sat down at the table and read their letters. Harry opened his letter carefully knowing that this would be when he would discover who the new headmaster is.

'Mad-eye Moody?' Hermione asked, 'The new headmaster. Are they mad?'

'There was a big controversy over it,' Mrs. Weasley explained, 'But no one wanted to be Dumbledore's successor' Mrs. Weasley gulped when she realised what she had said and looked at Harry. Harry felt very angry but mainly sad but was calmed down when Hermione squeezed his hand under the table. Wait a minute, he thought, Hermione had squeezed his hand, as a friend, he reminded himself. Hermione doesn't think of him as anything more but did Harry think of her as something more? Did he have feelings for her?

Harry's thoughts were interrupted by a squeal. Hermione had looked inside her envelope again to find a badge, a head girl badge.

'I can't believe it,' Hermione said.

'Can't you?' Harry laughed, 'You were bound to get it.'

'Oh Harry,' Hermione said and she hugged him. Nobody noticed Ginny with a disgusted look on her face nor Ron on the landing, looking down in fury. 'Look inside yours, quick!'

Harry opened his envelope and found between the two pieces of parchment, two badges. One was a new Quidditch Captain badge (which he was happy about because he had broken his old one) and to his complete surprise, a head boy badge. 'Wow,' Harry said.

'Not wow,' Hermione laughed, 'Magnificent, at least I have a friend to do the duties with.'

'Duties?' Harry joked, 'Who said I was actually going to do the duties?'

'You will or you'll lose you're badge,' Hermione said with great concern in her voice.

'Don't worry, I was only joking.'

The rest of breakfast was quiet because Ginny was yet again glaring at them. Once breakfast was over Hermione rushed upstairs to burrow Harry's owl to tell her parents the good news. Harry was left with Ginny because Mrs. Weasley had gone to do the gardening.

'What on earth was that?' Ginny said with anger clear in her voice.

'What was what?' Harry asked.

'Don't play dumb,' Ginny said, 'You and Hermione just before.'

'What about us?' Harry said with his voice steadily rising, 'Hermione and I are friends.'

'Yeah sure,' Ginny said, 'With that performance.'

'Even if we were more than just friends, what's it to you?'

'Excuse me but I am your girlfriend,' Ginny said and Harry quickly considered what to do. He had to watch his step.

'No you're not!' Harry said. 'I told you it was over!'

'You told me you wanted space not that it was over,' Ginny said, 'I've given you space and plenty of it.'

'Well maybe I don't want us to get back together,' Harry said and Ginny's eyes were soon filled with tears. Harry thought that he could have been a little more sensitive.

'What?' Ginny said, 'You're breaking up with me? For good?' Ginny face was now covered in tears.

'We're not right for each other,' Harry told her and she continued to cry, 'We're not meant to be.'

'What so this is it?' Ginny asked, 'Break it up with me so you can go and have it off with Hermione?'

'It's not like that!' Harry yelled at her.

'Well what is it like then?' Ginny asked in a nasty sort of way.

'I'm not ready to be in a relationship. I can't be with you and I'm not replacing you,' Harry said while trying to sound nice and comforting but it wasn't working.

'Fine,' Ginny said while standing up, 'Well if you ever want me again I won't be waiting for you to be "ready for a relationship". Just leave me alone!' With that Ginny tore from the room and up to her room.

Harry gulped. He had no idea what he should do next. The best idea that came into his head was to tell Hermione. He left the kitchen and walked up the stairs. As he passed Ginny's room he could hear crying, Ginny sounded like she was trying to cry a river. He continued to walk up the stairs until he came to the room he slept in. He looked into his room he shared with Ron. Ron was sitting on his bed looking at…

'Hey,' Harry yelled, 'That's mine.'

'What is it?' Ron asked as he shook the book and looked at it.

'Hermione and I are writing a book about the war,' Harry said, 'How come you've been looking through my stuff?'

'How come you didn't tell me about it if it's about the war which I was involved in?' Ron questioned with his fury showing in his voice, 'Or is it just your cover so you can get away with snogging each other in the attic?'

'Hermione and I are friends,' Harry tried to reassure him, 'Nothing more.'

'Well doesn't it seem kind of odd that Hermione only tells me she needs space when you turn up here?'

'The war changed her,' Harry tried to explain, 'She can't have a relationship with you anymore.'

'But she can with you?' Ron questioned.

'I didn't say that,' Harry yelled.

'Well it sure sounded like it,' Ron said.

'Calm down,' Hermione said as she walked into the room, 'We can sort this out without resorting to yelling.'

'What sort it out so you and Harry can go off and snog with my permission?' Ron said and both Harry and Hermione could tell they were getting nowhere, 'Not likely.'

'Will everyone get it through their thick heads that Harry and I are not having a relationship!' Hermione said and Ron laughed a very nasty laugh.

'Well you know what I don't want a relationship with someone that's obsessed with making big deal over nothing,' Ron said and both Hermione and Harry looked at him with puzzled expressions.

'What do you-' Hermione began but Ron interrupted.

'I mean that the war is over. Nobody's going to be killing us now so why can't we just get over it.' Ron said.

'You are so heartless!' Hermione yelled before running from the room.

'Ron, I-' Harry tried to explain.

'Just get out,' Ron yelled, 'First you break my sister's heart then you help Hermione break mine then to top it off you try to still be my friend. Don't be stupid. Just get out.'

Harry left the room and looked round for Hermione. She was nowhere to be seen. He gathered she wouldn't be in Ginny's room so he searched all the other rooms. At last he found her in the bathroom. She was sitting on the floor curled up and she was crying.

'Hermione, are you okay?' Harry asked and Hermione continued to cry. It was a few seconds before she was able to talk.

'I didn't think they'd react like that. I thought that at least Ginny would understand,' Hermione said. 'After all that's happened I thought Ron would have grown up.'

'I don't know if Ron ever will,' Harry said, 'We may never be friends again.'

'I guess I'm lucky,' Hermione said, 'I've still got one friend.' Harry smiled.

'So where do you want to go?' Harry asked. 'We can't stay here unless you really fancy spending the rest of the holidays fighting with Ron and Ginny.'

'I'll take you to my parents place,' Hermione said, 'They've always wanted to know you better and they won't hate you for not loving their child.' With that Hermione and Harry laughed.

Harry and Hermione spent the next half an hour gathering their things. Both Ron and Ginny were avoiding them for which Harry and Hermione were very grateful. Hermione was very much looking forward to having her parents get to know Harry better. When they were finished gathering their last things Harry and Hermione met in the kitchen.

'Going somewhere?' Mrs. Weasley asked them.

'Yes,' Hermione said, 'We're going to spend the rest of the summer at my parents' place.'

'Because of Ron and Ginny?' Mrs. Weasley questioned.

'Yes,' Harry said, 'We're sorry but we can't stay under the same roof as them at the moment.'

'But thank you for allowing us to stay here Mrs. Weasley.' Hermione said.

'Yeah, thanks for having us,' Harry thanked her.

'It was nothing, dears,' Mrs. Weasley said, 'Enjoy the rest of your summers and I'll talk to Ron and Ginny.'

'I don't like your chances-' Hermione tried to explain.

'Don't worry dear, they'll see sense, eventually, I hope,' Mrs. Weasley said.

'Well goodbye,' said Harry and Mrs. Weasley hugged him.

'Goodbye and thank you Mrs. Weasley,' Hermione said and Mrs. Weasley hugged her too then Harry and Hermione walked from the Burrow.

Once they were out of the Burrow and onto the street Harry turned to Hermione. 'Where is your parents' place?'

'It's just near Brighton,' Hermione told him and she continued to walk while dragging her trunk behind her.

'That's not within walking distance,' Harry stated the obvious.

'What did you think I was planning on walking?' Hermione laughed.

'Well how are we getting there?' Harry wondered out loud.

'We're going to find a phone box and ring my parents to pick us up,' Hermione told him.

'Oh,' Harry said and Hermione laughed.

'Yes, oh,' Hermione said and she burst out laughing.

'Hey!' Harry said and he tickled her.

'I am so going to get you back,' Hermione said while she laughed. 'Wow look at that,' Hermione said and pointed at a nearby bush.

'What?' Harry looked at the bush, 'I can't see anything.' Suddenly Harry felt a shiver down his spine, Hermione had poured cold water out of her water bottle down his shirt while he had been looking at the bush. Hermione was laughing so hard when he realised what she had done he laughed too and together they must have looked rather funny standing on a footpath in the middle of the day laughing their heads off but they didn't care. They had found peace and that was all that mattered. Harry felt for the first time in ages that life was worth living.


End file.
